The Niger State Police Command, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and other stakeholders, has counselled inmates of the Niger State Remand Home, Minna, against returning to crime, urging them to use their time in custody as an opportunity to turn their lives around.
The stakeholders gave the advice during a special advocacy programme organised by the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices, POCACOV, to mark World Charity Day 2026, calling on the juveniles to embrace education, discipline and positive values as they prepare to reintegrate into society.
Addressing the beneficiaries, the POCACOV State Coordinator, ASP Simon T. Lough, urged them not to allow past mistakes or their present circumstances to determine the rest of their lives.
He warned against drug abuse, cultism, cybercrime, violence, thuggery and other social vices, while encouraging the juveniles to acquire skills, pursue education and build relationships that would support their successful reintegration into society.
The State POCACOV Committee Chairman, Mr Guja Ibrahim, said the police-led campaign was committed to supporting young people willing to turn their lives around.
Ibrahim particularly promised to support juveniles who had discontinued their education to explore opportunities for further learning after their reintegration, stressing the importance of continued mentorship and guidance.
The NDLEA also sensitised the beneficiaries to the dangers of drug and substance abuse, warning that substance use could negatively affect their health, education and ability to make responsible decisions.
Similarly, the Inmates Educational Foundation urged the juveniles not to return to criminal activities after leaving the facility, encouraging them to use education and discipline as tools to rebuild their lives.
The foundation also donated exercise books and other educational materials to the juveniles as part of its contribution to the intervention.
The Deputy Director, Socials, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mr David Gana Yisa, described the programme as a positive step towards giving the young offenders a better future and called for stronger partnerships to sustain such interventions.
The Head of the facility, Hajia Halima Mohammed, expressed gratitude to the stakeholders, describing the intervention as a welcome development and the first of its kind from the Nigeria Police.
She said the message of hope and encouragement would complement the facility’s rehabilitation efforts and help prepare the juveniles for successful reintegration into society.
The programme also featured an interactive session and the presentation of incentives to the juveniles, with stakeholders emphasising that the rehabilitation of vulnerable young people requires the collective efforts of government agencies, families, security organisations, civil society and the media.
Niger Police, NDLEA, others counsel remand home inmates against crime